For immediate release:
September 2, 2008

For more information, contact:
Karla Hahn
Association of Research Libraries
202-296-2296
karla@arl.org

Kara Malenfant
Association of College and Research Libraries
312-280-2510
kmalenfant@ala.org

Scholarly Communication Outreach: Crafting Messages That Grab Faculty Attention

March 11–12, 2009, Seattle, Washington

Washington DC—Are you already working with faculty and researchers on your campus for change? Do you want to develop a deeper understanding of how scholars’ communication practices are changing and how the landscape appears to them?

Librarians supporting scholarly-communication outreach programs want to know how to identify issues that will resonate with faculty at their institutions and how to present those issues in ways that generate positive engagement with faculty. If this describes your situation, you won’t want to miss the new ARL/ACRL Institute on Scholarly Communication workshop “Scholarly Communication Outreach: Crafting Messages that Grab Faculty Attention,” March 11–12, 2009, in Seattle, Washington.

In the tradition of other institute events, this workshop will emphasize active learning and hands-on work by participants, both individually and in groups. Throughout the workshop, participants will have structured opportunities to reflect on how to apply what they are learning to their own institution’s outreach activities, to share information and test ideas, and to begin planning for future outreach.

Agenda

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

1:00–5:00 p.m.

Strategies for gathering information on researchers’ and scholars’ communication practices. Explore potential approaches including structured conversations, interviewing, and observational techniques. (Afternoon snack included.)

6:30–8:00 p.m.

Optional dinner discussion groups held at local restaurants and facilitated by institute faculty. Participants can network, discuss their ideas, and enrich their learning from the afternoon.

Thursday, March 12, 2009

8:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.

Crafting messages and interactions tuned to faculty perspectives. Explore the process of dialogue and practice using this important tool. Learn about marketing and message development. (Morning refreshment included.)

Learning Outcomes

• Participants will identify strategies for gathering information appropriate to their institutional environment on faculty/researcher scholarly communication practices.

• Participants will gain experience using dialogue as a technique to engage faculty on scholarly communication topics.

• Participants will select and begin to craft a message on a key scholarly communication issue that they can use at their home institutions.

Audience

The workshop is open to anyone responsible for implementing faculty/researcher outreach activities promoting positive change in scholarly communication. Participants should already possess a working knowledge of scholarly communication issues. Alumni of other institute events are encouraged to attend, as the content of the workshop will not replicate activities that are part of the ARL/ACRL–sponsored institutes, but will build on those past experiences.

Registration

Registration for the workshop is a separate process from registration for the ACRL National Conference or its preconferences (more information on the ACRL National Conference is available at http://www.acrl.org/seattle/). To register for this workshop, visit http://www.arl.org/sc/institute/inst-events/0309workshop.shtml.

Registration opens on September 1, 2008, and will close on January 1, 2009, unless the workshop fills earlier. The workshop will be limited to 100 participants. Interest in the workshop is expected to be significant, so please register as early as possible. Institutions are asked to register a maximum of 5 participants per campus. A waiting list for up to 20 individuals will be maintained and evaluated as the workshop date approaches.

Registration Fee

Registration fees cover an afternoon snack on Wednesday and morning refreshments on Thursday. Participants attending the optional dinner discussions are expected to pay for their own meals at the restaurant.

Payment may be made by credit card, or arrangements for purchase order payments can be made (see the workshop registration site for details).

The Institute on Scholarly Communication is jointly sponsored by the Association of Research Libraries and the Association of College and Research Libraries to promote the development of library-led outreach on scholarly communication issues. Hundreds of institute alumni form a community that provides peer support and professional sharing of information relating to campus outreach. The institute’s signature event is an immersive learning experience that prepares participants as local experts within their libraries and provides a structure for developing a program plan for scholarly communication outreach that is customized for each participant’s institution. The institute is on the Web at http://www.arl.org/sc/institute/.

The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) is a nonprofit organization of 123 research libraries in North America. Its mission is to influence the changing environment of scholarly communication and the public policies that affect research libraries and the diverse communities they serve. ARL pursues this mission by advancing the goals of its member research libraries, providing leadership in public and information policy to the scholarly and higher education communities, fostering the exchange of ideas and expertise, and shaping a future environment that leverages its interests with those of allied organizations. ARL is on the Web at http://www.arl.org/.

The Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) is a division of the American Library Association (ALA), representing more than 13,000 academic and research librarians and interested individuals. ACRL is the only individual membership organization in North America that develops programs, products and services to meet the unique needs of academic and research librarians. Its initiatives enable the higher education community to understand the role that academic libraries play in the teaching, learning and research environments. ACRL is on the Web at http://www.acrl.org/.